Float Sticking

[tiredoffixing]

I have a 81 SH. I finally got it running great but now I have gas leaking out of number 4 carb. If I hit it with a rubber mallet it stops. Then I can ride it but after awhile it starts again. Can anyone tell me what to do? I have had the carbs apart dozons of times. When it dosnt leak it runs great. Thanks for all your help

[John]

You need to inspect the #4 float needle, seat, AND the o ring that seals the seat to the carb body. The float may be hanging on the edge of the bowl gasket, or the floats may drop too far when the bowl is empty, and then the needle can wedge in the seat, and won't seat until the engine vibrations free it up. There is a way to limit the drop by bending the tang on the floats that contacts the float tower.

[tiredoffixing]

Thanks

Thanks for your help. I will give it a try

[blue giant]

On mine it was the O ring between the seat body and carb body.
I lost count on how many times I cleaned those carbs and checked floats before I discovered the orings were done.

[XSPastor]

Had the same problem. If you know the needles/seats/o-rings are good then it could be the problem I had. One float was dropping much lower than the others to let the fuel in. The float levels were correct but the leaky carb's float dropped so low that it jammed open sometimes. Hold the carbs upright with the bowls off and make sure that the float for number 4 drops the same amount as the others. Some have found that the floats can hang on the inside edge of the gaskets so you may want to trim that too while you're at it.

[tiredoffixing]

Float

Thanks for the advice. I thoiught they looked like they dropped the same but ill check it again. I will also try to trim ther gaskets. thanks again

[tiredoffixing]

They have to be hanging up some how cause when it leaks if I tap it with a rubber mallet it stops, and it only sticks when I ride it hard.So does it make sense that the needle is good but the float is just binding somewhere? Thanks again

[Ken Talbot]

Originally posted by tiredoffixing
does it make sense that the needle is good but the float is just binding somewhere?

This could be the case. If you look there the float pivots on the shaft, you'll see a small tab that limits how far down the float can fall when the fuel level is low. Some guys have had good luck bending this tab to prevent the float from falling too low into the bowl. By keeping the float a bit higher, it seems to eliminate the binding that can happen if the whole assembly gets too far open.

YMMV, JAT

[boyat68]

tiredoffixing:

If you have the plastic floats, they may be a wee bit long in the tooth. I remove my carbs thirteen (13) times running test andtrying to stop the leaking carbs. I would think that they were fixed using Ken Talbot's sight gauge method only to have them turn loose after mounting them back on the bike. I finally developed the following method to check for the sticking floats. See:
http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread...ghlight=Floats

[tiredoffixing]

I just took them apart again and I may have it fixed. I shortened the amont of how far the float can drop. I rode about 30 miles and no leak. Thanks so much for all your help. I couldnt have fixed it alone